City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Mountain View | Sunnyvale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,855/mo | $2,990/mo | 4.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $1,833,300 | $1,680,700 | 9.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $174,156 | $174,506 | 0.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 125.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 104.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Mountain View, you'd need $104,726 in Sunnyvale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Mountain View, CA is about 4.5% cheaper overall than Sunnyvale, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Mountain View than in Sunnyvale. If you earn $80,000 in Mountain View, you'd need about $83,780 in Sunnyvale to keep the same standard of living.